Archive for April 2012

On the anniversary of last year's Royal Wedding, the nation gears up once again to fly the flag for Britain with Jubilee Fever beginning to raise it's head. The high street has been awash with union jacks, crowns, corgis and all things British. And the world of home decor is no exception! Top designers and small boutiques alike are embracing the patriotic trend to the full, delivering quirky and contemporary products for a true British home!

We've pulled out a few of our favourites:

Graham & Brown offer up these eye-catching wallpapers. Bring a regal touch to your home with the monochrome crowns and coronet design, or give a nod to the capital with this mix of London landmarks. Both are perfect for feature walls statements!

Adorn your furnishings with a flurry of British inspired cushions! John Lewis's Celebration of British Cushion Collection has a great range of classic and quirky designs to choose from. We love the King & Queen matching sets!

Anyone for tea? The ultimate British past-time sees a similar patritoic overhaul with many tea set designs emerging for the occassion. Check out this lovely commemorative set from Not on the High Street.

This week's blog delves into the wonderful world of fabric design. Searching for inspiration this morning, I found myself surrounded by swatchbooks containing some of the most unique and beautiful fabrics from our current range. We pride ourselves on sourcing fabrics from today's best designers, so I say it's time to pay homage to the creative genius behind the contemporary florals and classic damasks. Over a series of blogs we will be celebrating some of today's top fabric designers! Starting with one of the UK's best known design houses... Sanderson.

With over 150 years experience in the design industry, it's no suprise that Sanderson are one of the UK's leading design houses today. Culminating quintessentially Bristish design with new and modern elements, their designs attract all ages.They explain more about their style and ethos on their website: “We draw on the creativity of young contemporary designers, alongside the work of artists and historical documents. This mix creates new and directional designs for modern living.”

One of Sanderson's most recent popular designs Dandelion Clocks has been greatly received by the Bristish public and home decor industry alike, with the fun, simple design cropping up everywhere from teacups to wallpaper. As a result, Dandelion Clocks is one of our most popular Sanderson designs for loose covers, re-upholstery and curtains. An alternative, blackcurrent colourway is also available, alongside 4 more famous Sanderson designs including Pondicherry and Pangbourne.

To find out more about our other fabric suppliers click here, or check back for more Featured Fabric Supplier posts! In the meantime we'd love to hear from you:

What is the best design feature in your home? Is it a beautiful Chesterfield couch, a stunning sculpture or a zanny colour scheme? How many of you said, my mirrors! I know what you must be thinking: mirrors are a necessity not a design feature. Whether you sneak a quick glance every time you walk past or avoid your mirrors at all costs, be sure not to underestimate them when it comes to creating wow factor in your home.

Create a sense of grandeur with oversized mirrors. Positioned in your dining room, a large elaborate mirror will bounce back plenty of light, leaving the room feeling spacious and airey. Not to mention it makes a great pre-starter talking point!

We all like to be able to see what we're doing as we get ready in the morning, but does this take things to the extreme? Not at all, a stunning statement and practical too! Combine with monochrome, minimalist decor for maximum impact!

Forget the dreary family timeline ascending the stairs and opt for a variety of mirrors instead. They will instantly brighten the space and add extra interest. Choose matching, neutral colours for a subtle statement or mix and match sizes, shapes and colours for a fun, 'off the wall' approach!

A growing trend at the moment are collage wall displays, with photo frames and clocks featuring highly. Use mirrors of all different shapes and sizes, but ensure they have something in common to fit in with your room's decor. Mixing and matching metallic frames are a great way to add that luxury feel to this living room.

The US will be celebrating Earth day this weekend (22nd April): a day for pledging your efforts for a greener planet! But who says we should leave it all to our friends over the pond? We can all do our bit to help the environment, and here at Plumbs we're keen to push the message of recycling and reusing old furniture! With landfill space in the UK expected to run out by 2018, now is a great time to think outside of the box and see how you can make your unwanted furniture useable again.

Our primary concern is, of course upholstery. 10 million items of furniture are thrown away in the UK every year. 3 million of these items could be easily re-used; more could be repaired. You'll be pleasantly suprised to hear of the transformations that loose covers and re-upholstery can do to your old furniture. Bringing a fresh new look to saggy sofas or sprucing up your conservatory suite, recycling, or in many cases up-cycling your favourite furniture in this way is great for the environment and great for your home!

Here are some of our recent transformations...

Remember, it's not just upholstery that can be kept and made new. Think about other household objects you could renew or repurpose, such as turning old cupboard doors into lap trays, or making a quirky shelf unit from unused drawers as seen on Decorology blog:

Re-purposing, re-cycling and re-upholstering is a win win for you and the environment! So, before considering buying a new suite, sofa or chair, why not arrange your free home consultation to see how Plumbs can help you save your sofa and the environment!